1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell stack that has rectangular end plates disposed at ends, in a stacking direction, of a laminate including a plurality of fuel cells, and it relates to a fuel cell vehicle in which the fuel cell stack is installed.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a solid polymer fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) that has an anode electrode provided one side and a cathode electrode provided on the other side of an electrolyte membrane, which is formed of a polymer ion exchange membrane. The MEA and separators disposed on both sides of the MEA form a power generating cell. The solid polymer fuel cell is typically formed of a predetermined number of power generating cells stacked on one another and is installed in a fuel cell vehicle so as to be used as a vehicle's fuel cell stack.
In fuel cell vehicles, hydrogen, which serves as a fuel gas, may leak into a space accommodating a fuel cell stack. Hence, a fuel cell car capable of efficiently discharging hydrogen leaking out of a fuel cell stack to the outside, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-040950, has been proposed.
This fuel cell car has a closed space for accommodating the fuel cell in front of a vehicle cabin. Depending on the necessity, a first opening is provided in an upper part of the closed space, and a second opening is provided at a position where a negative pressure is produced during driving, so that hydrogen leaking out of the fuel cell system into the closed space can be discharged.
Hence, when the opening is provided in the upper part of the closed space, hydrogen leaking out of the fuel cell system into the closed space, particularly during parking, can be reliably discharged outside the vehicle. Furthermore, when the opening is provided at a position where a negative pressure is produced, hydrogen leaking out of the fuel cell system during driving can be discharged outside the closed space.